Orbital-Built OCO-2 Satellite Ready for Launch

30 June 2014
Orbital Sciences Corporation is in final preparations for the launch of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite. Orbital designed, built and tested the carbon dioxide-measuring spacecraft at its satellite manufacturing facility in Gilbert, AZ for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA’s first satellite dedicated to making space-based measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), OCO-2 is scheduled to launch aboard a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Tuesday, 1 July at 2:56 a.m. (PDT). Following its deployment, the OCO-2 satellite will undergo several weeks of in-orbit testing to verify that all major subsystems are operating as planned. (Image Credit: NASA)More Info > (NASA)More Info > (Wall Street Journal)